Domestic Chickens

Domesticated poultry found worldwide. They are descended primarily from the Red Junglefowl, which inhabits the tropical forests and bamboo thickets of Southeast Asia.

Omnivorous foragers that will eat almost anything.

• Wild: Seeds, insects, lizards, vegetation, and scraps.
• Zoo: Layer pellets, scratch grains, vegetables, and mealworms.

• Production: 2 – 3 years
• Pet/Zoo: 8 – 10+ years

• Living Dinosaurs: Modern birds, including chickens, are living avian dinosaurs that share common evolutionary theropod ancestry with prehistoric giants like the T-Rex.
• Pecking Order: They have a complex social hierarchy where higher-ranking birds eat first; this is where the term “pecking order” originated.
• REM Sleep: Chickens experience Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, which means they dream.
• Tidbitting Courtship: When a rooster finds a tasty treat, he bobs his head, picks up and drops the morsel, and makes rapid, rhythmic clucks to call hens over in a ritual known as “tidbitting.” Rather than eating the food himself, he uses this display to prove to the flock that he is an attentive guardian and provider capable of finding good meals, building trust and winning over potential mates.
• Flock Defense and Imprinting: When a male chick is cuddled and handled constantly by humans, he experiences a developmental process called “imprinting,” growing up viewing people as fellow flock members rather than large predators. Because a mature rooster’s instinct is to challenge rival males and guard his hens, he will actively spar with people he sees as social equals—meaning what looks like an aggressive attack is actually natural flock defense.